The Federal High Court in Abuja has listed 48 illegally acquired properties traceable to immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami.
It has also ordered the final forfeiture of those properties, following a judgment delivered by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik yesterday.
The court ruled that since those properties were acquired with proceeds of crime, that they should be permanently seized by the federal government.
It held that Malami, who served as Justice Minister from November 11, 2015, to May 29, 2023, under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, believed to have fought corruption in the country, could not disprove reasonable suspicion that the properties were acquired through unlawful activities.
Malami who is currently facing a 16-count money laundering charge, was arraigned before the court alongside his son, Abdulaziz, and one of his wives, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and has been alleged to have laundered public funds totalling about N9 billion.
Here now is a list of the properties which the court has ordered he should forfeit to the Federal Government:
- Luxury duplex at Amazon Street, Plot No. 3011, within Cadastral Zone A06, Maitama; File No. AN11352, purchased in December 2022 at N500,000,000.00 (value after enhancement, N5,950,000,000).
- Two-wing, large storey building situated at No. 3, Onitsha Crescent, Area 11, Garki, Cadastral Zone A03, Abuja (formerly Harmonia Hotels Limited), FCT, purchased in December 2018 at N7,000,000,000.00.
- Plot 683, Jabi District, Cadastral Zone B04, comprising a five-storey building (now Luxurious Meethaq Hotels Ltd, Jabi, with 53 rooms/suites), purchased in September 2020 at carcass level at N850,000,000.00, with an additional N300,000,000 to take possession (value after completion, N8,400,000,000).
- Property No. 3130, within Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, FCT, Abuja, comprising terraces, purchased in January 2021 at N360,000,000.00.
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- Property No. 3, Rhine Street, Maitama, Abuja (Meethaq Hotels Ltd, Maitama, with 15 rooms), purchased in February 2018 at N430,000,000.00 (current value after rehabilitation, N12,950,000,000).
- Plot No. 1241B, Asokoro District Zone (No. 11A Yakubu Gowon Crescent), Asokoro District, purchased in July 2021 at N325,000,000.00.
- Shop No. C82, Citiscape — Shariff Plaza, Plot 739, Cadastral Zone A07, Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse II, FCT, Abuja, purchased in March 2024 at N120,000,000.00.
- 4, Ahmadu Bello Way, Nasarawa GRA, Kano, purchased in December 2022 at N300,000,000.00.
- Plot 157, Lamido Crescent, Nasarawa GRA, Kano, purchased in July 2019, with no specific amount stated.
- A plaza, commercial toilets, laundry facility, and warehouse tanks adjacent to Birnin Kebbi Market, purchased in 2021 at N100,000,000.00.
- 100 hectares of land along Birnin Kebbi–Jega Road, purchased in 2020 at N100,000,000.00.
- Four-bedroom bungalow, Gesse Phase, Birnin Kebbi, purchased in 2023 at N101,000,000.00.
- Shops Nos. A36 and B3, Vegas Mall, Wuse 2, Abuja, purchased in July 2023 at N158,000,000.00.
- 26, Babbi Drive, BUA Estate, Abuja, purchased in 2022 at N136,000,000.00.
- 27, Efab Estates Avenue, 59th Crescent, Gwarimpa, Abuja, purchased in January 2016 at N120,000,000.00.
- Four-bedroom house with two-room boys’ quarters at No. 10B, Doka Crescent, Abakpa GRA, Kaduna, purchased in January 2018 at N40,000,000.00.
- Plot No. 13, Ipent 7 Estate, Karsana District, Abuja, purchased in June 2018 at N85,000,000.00.
- Four-bedroom duplex with boys’ quarters at No. 12, Yalinga Street, off Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja, purchased in October 2018 at N150,000,000.00.
- Two warehouse shops, B40 and B46, Wuse Market, Abuja, purchased in July 2020 at N50,000,000.00.
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- Twin houses at Zone E, Apo Legislative Quarters, Cadastral Zone B01, Plot 14014, Gudu District, Abuja, purchased between February and May 2017 at N250,000,000.00.
- Properties acquired by the Khadimiyya for Justice & Development Initiative at Academic Garden City, Birnin Kebbi, sold by the Federal Housing Authority Mortgage.
- The schedule filed by the EFCC also included nine units of three-bedroom bungalows, three units of two-bedroom bungalows, and 5.4 hectares of land, purchased between February and September 2023 at N187 million, as part of the illegally acquired properties
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